Social media flew into a frenzy Saturday morning when an apparent press release from Donald Trump’s campaign called for justice for Peanut the squirrel … but it was all a hoax, TMZ has learned.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung tells us a statement that spread on X like wildfire was not real … Trump had not addressed the confiscated and euthanized squirrel controversy.
In the fake release, Trump was quoted as saying in part … “If Peanut could have told them he was from Mexico, they would have sent him on his way and given him a hotel room and a $500 gift card to Buddy Squirrel. Instead, he was taken from his family. Very sad, and a complete waste of resources!”
My angle Peanut and Trump thing is doing pretty decent too pic.twitter.com/NlPUeCNH99
— Chad West (@Chad_WestReal) November 2, 2024
@Chad_WestReal
Amid the noise, a wave of AI-generated artwork of Trump and Peanut started taking over X … similar to when the pet-eating controversy was going down back in September.
TMZ previously spoke to the owners of a pet squirrel with a massive social media following … who are going nuclear on government officials in New York … accusing the state of abusing power and wasting taxpayer funds to seize and kill Peanut, all because of some anonymous claims.
TMZ.com
Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, told us on “TMZ Live” Friday they will not rest until something is done about the injustice.
While it’s technically illegal to have a pet squirrel in NY, Mark says he wasn’t hiding Peanut — the squirrel has 532,000 followers on IG and over 1,400 posts — and he says anonymous complaints about Peanut led state agencies to get a search warrant to rip the animal from his home and kill it.
Mark says Peanut was the cornerstone of his family and his nonprofit animal rescue, P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary … and he doesn’t know how he’s going to continue without his squirrely friend.
While the actual Trump has not weighed … the way the story has gone viral … it might just be a matter of time.